Greg's Story

What Makes a Good Job Good?

Greg Tanner never had any trouble finding work.For decades he worked in the construction trade – everything from landscaping to building brick patios and retaining walls. The money was good.Often the pay was “under the table, which made the hourly rate seem high. Eventually what seemed too good to be true indeed turned out to be too good to be true. “There was no real stability to that kind of work,” Tanner explains. “Sometimes the contractor ran out of work suddenly, or there were too many rain days in a row, which meant no cash flow.”

It was a cold January day when Tanner found himself with no cash, no savings, and nowhere to turn when his landlord evicted him after several missed months of rent. “I could have gone to stay with friends, but they were all drinking, and I didn’t want to be in that environment any more. I knew I had to go back to God, and turn everything over to him.”

Tanner has been at the Mission about nine months, and he’s progressed to Stage 4 of our New Life Plan.He landed a good job, working at a Breeze Thru market. He quickly got a promotion, and is now saving money so that he can move into his own place, and acquire his own car. He recently took his children school shopping, and looking ahead he believes that the stability of a retail job with fixed hours, and having his own place, will mean he gets to spend more time with them. He’s making plans for his future, and his children’s future. He’s building a New Life.

"By partnering with the Mission, we are able to help them achieve one of their main goals – providing clients of the Mission an opportunity to re-enter the workforce, earn a living wage, and build the skills necessary for a fulfilling career and life." Kristin Congelli, PHR Manager, Human Resources Breeze Thru Markets, LLC